Coffe shop XXXIV - 9/10/12

[Secondhandmodeler]

Good morning folks.

It's been a long week at work and I can't wait for it to be over. I tell ya, I really miss my second day off at work.

I was pleasantly surprised to see there is a train show in Shakopee this weekend. I'm happy to see they are open on Sunday, which is my only day off. Usually I can't go to any shows near the metro area because they are on Saturday. I don't know if I need anything but I will enjoy wandering the building anyway. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!

Have a great weekend everyone.

 

[railfan]

The sun is shining brightly today.....and I'm going grocery shopping for an elderly friend. I didn't used to have elderly friends.....until I became near elderly myself.



Mike

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

The sun is shining brightly today.....and I'm going grocery shopping for an elderly friend. I didn't used to have elderly friends.....until I became near elderly myself.

Mike

I hear you on that! I often wondered when I was younger just how old you had to be to qualify for the senior citizen discount at restaurants and stores. Well now I know but only because I qualify as a senior citizen! I sometimes wondered how much trouble it was to get a permanent handicap parking permit. Now I know but only because I had to get one. It expires when I pass on or when the world ends, whichever comes first.



Well the nurse showed up today so I don't have to watch over my mother. I instead went to town and my grocery shopping done. Here's a photo I took the last time I was at my parents home. This is in a second story loft in the great room. The monkey's name is King George and he's on his throne. No offense to our friends in the UK.

 

[Trussrod]

David, that was probably a wake up call. If you really like the throttles, and you aren't interested in going to DCC, now would be the time to start looking for spares. As more and more people go DCC, those throttles are going to become surplus and be discarded, either through sale or tossing in the trash.

That's a good point Gomez,
I haven't visited eBay in a while but probably should start doing that again.

As this simple throttle offers most all the features I want and need it's just fine for me as it has built in momentum and a considerable variation of speed steps.

Thanks for the thought.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Today has been a little longer than usual. I've already set my clocks back an hour for DST. Today I took care of a plumbing problem that had been nearly driving me nuts. The drain line from the kitchen sink went to a drainage stack embedded in the wall between the kitchen and bathroom. No matter what I did I couldn't stop the kitchen connection to the stack leaking. Well today I disconnected that line and plugged it off at the stack. I reran the kitchen drain pipe, drilled an inch and a quarter hole in the floor under the cabinet and ran the pipe down through the hole and routed a pipe outside to a patch of grass beside the trailer. It's just clear sink water and there's nothing harmful in it. The only soap I use is completely biodegradable. When I get some more pipe I'll route it out to the magnolia tree in my yard. I did the same thing with an RV I lived in before I bought this trailer. The water from the kitchen and shower supplied water for the garden I had then. The water from my kitchen is much cleaner than that flowing into the ditches from the drain lines of my neighbors washing machines and dish washers. I'm sure the magnolia tree will love having a supply of water. It's dry up here on the hill.

Time for me to call it a night. See y'all tomorrow.

 

[Bill Tidler Jr.]

Good Morning...

Good Morning! from Tipton IN.

It's Sunday, November 4, 2012

TIPTON IN

 

[kbkchooch]

Morning Gang!
All's quiet here for the 1st time this week. If not for the hurricane, then it was the grand kids. Work has been busy enough that I leave in the dark, and get home at dusk. So I have enough time to survey storm damage, but not enough time to really do anything about it. So after the kids left yesterday, me and the Mrs got some much needed sleep, and will be attacking the yard at 1st light. We suffered no serious damage , but I have a large pile of small branches waiting to be fed to the chipper/shredder and enough pine needles to fill a pickup truck with to rake up. I doubt the trains will see me today!

Mike, I know what you mean by the elderly remark. At a recent family gathering, some young wise cracker pointed out that I am only 1 step away from being the senior male in the family. I reminded him at 51, I could still make sure he would never attain that status!!

Well, time to roll out, fix the lawn, carry firewood and ooops, I just remembered,,,my order came in at our LHS,,maybe I can pry myself away today????

 

[bnsf971]

Good morning. It's cloudy and 43.
We've cut the top off the blanket, and sewn It back to the bottom, so make sure your clocks are turned back an hour. It wouldn't do to have everybody show up an hour early for work tomorrow.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 63° with 95% humidity. There's a fair chance of showers and thunderstorms today. The high will be 78°.

It's raining here in the wettest of the continental United States. I hear both rain and thunder. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue across inland southeast Texas and central Louisiana. I have no idea what I'll be doing today. I may be able to get some of the layout cleaned up. That's been neglected pretty much this past month. But then that's usual. I'll work on it and play with it for a while then I'll leave it alone or flat out ignore it for a while. There's been no further progress on the grain elevator scratch build. Well, these storms are getting closer and are sounding really nasty. Time to go.

 

[RexHea]

Hi fellows! Just a pass through to check on you guys. Besides camping, I've been busy trying to get things done around the house before I hibernate in the Depot this winter....even managed to complete some tasks that I've put-off for two years. I did have new double pane windows installed throughout the house (16). It may take years to see the return in savings, but I can already tell the difference in them maintaining a constant temp without the A/C or heat coming on as often. Heck, the looks alone made it all worth while.

Got a weird problem with the power in the Depot. Sometimes when I turn the florescent lighting on, the power in one leg of the 240 jumps to ~145 volts and the other reduces to ~100. Have a suspicion that some of the electronic ballasts got damaged when I had that lightning strike back in July. Notice that I said "sometimes" and that makes it even more difficult to isolate. The Depot parallels the house 240 and the house readings are balanced. Any thoughts on this? Any residential electricians out there?

 

[bnsf971]

Hi fellows! Just a pass through to check on you guys. Besides camping, I've been busy trying to get things done around the house before I hibernate in the Depot this winter....even managed to complete some tasks that I've put-off for two years. I did have new double pane windows installed throughout the house (16). It may take years to see the return in savings, but I can already tell the difference in them maintaining a constant temp without the A/C or heat coming on as often. Heck, the looks alone made it all worth while.

Got a weird problem with the power in the Depot. Sometimes when I turn the florescent lighting on, the power in one leg of the 240 jumps to ~145 volts and the other reduces to ~100. Have a suspicion that some of the electronic ballasts got damaged when I had that lightning strike back in July. Notice that I said "sometimes" and that makes it even more difficult to isolate. The Depot parallels the house 240 and the house readings are balanced. Any thoughts on this? Any residential electricians out there?

Something is leaking power on the neutral side. Next time it happens start flipping off breakers until the problem stops, then check whatever is on that circuit.

 

[RexHea]

Thanks, I'll dig into it a little more than I did. I tried to do that yesterday, but had to quit to do something else. One concern I have, my power feed is underground from the house box and the steel conduit ran right beside the tree that got zapped by lightning. I'm sure hoping that the wires didn't get fried inside the conduit. The voltage has always been ok except when I turn on the main lighting. BTW: I don't measure any continuity between power feeds/neutral when main breaker is off. Of course it may take a meggar to see that.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I had dinner at my parents place today. Pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, onions. It was a good meal. I was lucky to get down there and back too. I've been having a lot of trouble getting around today. Very unsteady. Guess I've been pushing too hard, then these recent emergencies didn't do me any good either. In my trailer it's not much of a problem because I have the walls and other things for support. But outside or in a large open room it can become a very real problem. The basic problem is my sense of balance is shot. Has been since I was two years old. If I lose the horizon I can become disoriented. A pitch black room is a place I don't want to be! Sometimes it gets really aggravated. That's exactly what's been happening today. I fell three times while I was there, twice to my knees and once fell over backward flat on my back. Fortunately it doesn't bother me when I'm sitting down, only when I'm standing. If it follows it's usual pattern I might as well stay in bed tomorrow for all the good I'll be to anyone.

Speaking of bed that's where I'm headed now. See y'all whenever.

 

[tootnkumin]

Best to take it easy Jeff, sounds like it passes somewhat if you aren't overdoing it.

Just got a small parcel of detailing parts from Walthers a few minutes (tiedown chains etc and a track inspection window kit that I hope I can fit to the rear end of a Walthers dome diner. In with the parcel as usual was a flyer mag. Inside the font cover was a pic of their Meadowhead barn https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3330
being used as an "American Pickers" type antique shop. Full marks to Walthers promotional people for 'cottoning on' to the TV programs popularity (watch it all the time) to give the product a 'plug'. A great little scene.

Also in the flyer was a similar type "Old weathered barn" #785-5038 which would make another great scene tucked away down a muddy track with the picker's van parked outside and the 'boys' scratching their heads next to it wondering how they were going to get it unstuck.

 

[Bill Tidler Jr.]

Good Morning...

Good Morning! from Tipton IN.

It's Monday, November 5, 2012

TIPTON IN

 

[bnsf971]

Good morning. It's partly cloudy and an hour later than it was Friday at this time. Or an hour earlier. Or something.
Today is one of the two normal weekdays in the year that have much higher than normal accident rates. The other day is the Monday after daylight saving time starts again. Be more careful driving today than you usually are.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Good morning. It's 58° with 100% humidity and dense fog. There's a slight chance of rain this morning and a fair chance this afternoon. The high is expected to be 75°.

Today I'm having as much trouble as I expected to have. My balance is really messed up and my left knee is numb. I can get around inside my trailer well enough but it's slow going. Forget about going outside. I wouldn't even be able to get down the steps. Whatever my father needs help with today he's going to have to find somebody else to do it or handle it himself. If I feel up to it later I may be able to do a little cleanup work on the layout. For now it's back to the bed.

 

[railfan]

I have the four layout module platforms together and ready to attach the legs. Would like to lightly sand the fuzz off everything.....but a hassle to haul it all downstairs outside. May just go with sanding the plywood surface while inside the train room. There are twelve legs with bracing to screw together. I eliminated four of the sixteen legs.....using a leg efficiency program.........25% less time and material.

 

[Secondhandmodeler]

Good morning folks.

It's a dark, dreary day around here. It certainly sets the stage for a long, boring Monday.

I went to a train show about an hour north of here yesterday. There were some traveling, sectional layouts to see and booths of either junk, or almost full price merchandise. I made an offer to a gentleman for his Athearn RS-3 for ten dollars less than he was asking. No dice. Oh well, I didn't really need it, I just thought it would be worth while at the price offered. I did purchase a hand drawn picture of the now gone depot in Eagle Lake, the town I live in. Last year I purchased a drawing from the same gentleman of Mankato's depot. I figured I may as well have the depots around where I live. It makes for a nice decoration on the wall of my train room. It was nice to wander around trains for awhile but I think I'll spend the gas and admission money on ebay next time. That would have more than covered the money I would have saved if the previously mentioned guy had accepted my offer.

I hope all are doing well.
Have a great day everyone.

 

[tootnkumin]

Sunday, I took the last few items I had for sale down to the RMCQ(Railway Modelers Club of Qld) buy and sale day (6 Bachman silver series wood products roller door box cars, 1 Athearn GP40 (SP/SF merger) non DCC ready loco and 2, 1/50th Cararama lowloader trailer trucks with Cats) and managed to sell only the Cararamas to another eldely bloke at a much reduced price who wanted to keep 1 for himself "cause he used to drive a front loader" and send the other to his grandson in Tasmania. Had a few "picker uppers and lookers" on the GP40 but no offers, so there might be some candidates for weathering practice.
Bought a ATSF modern Caboose that had extra detailing fitted (won't tell you how much I paid 'cause it was way over the top, but I haven't been able to find one elsewhere). The seller also had a very interesting Atlas SD26 (DCC ready) that he wanted $120 for that had been "weathered" (bit of black spray can paint on top). Didn't have enough cash on me, so left it (did get his Ph# so maybe, very interesting looking loco). And bought a couple of small factory type buildings for $15 from another seller.

So having had the buying juices whetted I decided that, seeing I was already 1/2 way to the nearest LHS I'd just pop in and have a look, one of the youngsters in my club had picked up a GP40X for $70 on special and I thought they might have another. No luck on that front but I eventually came across a BNSF swoosh NRE Genset for $125 and gave way to temptation (there was another in CSX livery, also very tempting).

Considering the purpose was of getting rid of some of the stuff I no longer require/want in order to help pay for stuff already purchased previously, does that qualify as a successful model railroading day?